I scratched my head. At first glance you wouldn’t think James would know what a ping is. He looked like the kind of guy who would meet you in the street for a six-draw shootout, but he had access to technology and equipment that boggled my mind.
“Thank, God. I’m taking the next flight out.” I grabbed my jacket from the back of the couch and turned off the lights as I walked through the penthouse.
“Sure thing. And I’ll be in touch about the sister. That one is going to take me a little longer, but I’ll work on it for you.”
“Thanks, James.” I didn’t care about the extra clothes I wanted to pack. I slammed the door behind me, ready to take down anyone in my way between here and South Padre.
I rubbed my eyes as I crossed over the bridge. The pavement was wet from the storm that had passed over the beach. My tires sloshed through puddles that had collected on the side of the road. The South Padre lights were in front of me. So was Sydney. She was on this island.
I parked next to her car. It was late. Beyond late. But it didn’t matter that it was after one in the morning. If she were half as hurt as I was, she wouldn’t be sleeping.
I climbed the stairs, taking the steps in rapid succession. I pounded on the door. “Syd.”
I thought I heard her walking on the other side. “Syd, let me in.” My fist beat against the wood. I’d kick the door in if I had to.
“No.” Her voice was strong. “Get out of here. I don’t want to see you.”
I stared at the door. “I’m not leaving.”
“Then I’ll call the police.”
“I’ll wake up all your neighbors before they get here,” I countered. I needed her to open the door. I was lost if she didn’t open the door.
I heard the chain slap against the doorframe. She cracked it enough for me to see her face.
“Please, Mason. Just go.”
I shook my head. “I’m not going. I will sleep outside this apartment if I have to.”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “Come in.”
I walked into the apartment. It glowed blue. The TV was on, but no other lights.
“Can I sit?” I asked.
She didn’t answer, so I found a spot at the end of her bed. “That’s twice now you have scared the shit out of me.”
“I don’t really care.” She glared at me, her arms folded in a protective stance. I wanted to reach out and uncross them.
“Well, I do. Something could have happened to you. I didn’t know where you were. I flew from Dallas as soon as I knew you were back on the island.”
“Don’t act like you care about me.” Her voice was bitter.
It was a punch to my chest. I cared more than I had ever admitted to her. More than I knew I could care about anyone.
“I know you found out about the campground.”
She crossed her arms. “You’re one secretive asshole.”
“It only happened two days ago. It wasn’t supposed to be a secret.”
“Jackie and Chelsea sure did have all the details, didn’t they?” Her eyes were filled with rage. “By definition, a secret is something you intentionally don’t tell someone else. This was a big, fat, fucking secret, Mason.”
I felt my arms tense, and my jaw clench.
“I was trying to figure out a way to fix it. I was hoping I wouldn’t even have to tell you. I’m trying to find another tract of land.”
“So you weren’t going to tell me any of it?” She dropped on to the bed.
“Yes. I would have once I had a solution.”
“And what about Shawna and Lindy? Do they know?” Her stare was accusatory.
I shook my head. “No. No one else knows.”
Her fingers began to tremble. “They don’t even know? Their house is about to get plowed over by a bulldozer, and they don’t know it?”
“Hey, calm down. I won’t let that happen. I will figure something out.”
“And if you don’t? What happens to them then?”
I wanted to tell her what she wanted to hear. That there was some magic solution, but in the past two days we had gone through every parcel on the island. There was nothing for sale. There was no way I could move the trailer park. I was at a complete dead end.
“They’ll lose their homes.” I couldn’t look at her.
“They are counting on you, Mason. Shawna and Lindy. They don’t have anyone else. This was it. What about the swing set and the slide? And the swimming platform? You made promises that you were only going to keep if they were convenient.”
I shook my head in protest. “That was never my intention. I had nothing to do with these damn endangered bugs. We did our due diligence. My legal team advised me. What did you expect me to do?”